In his first public address following his election as the successor to Saint Peter, Pope Leo XIV firmly reaffirmed the Church’s essential identity and enduring mission in the face of an increasingly fragmented and unstable socio-cultural landscape. Speaking with clarity and pastoral urgency, he declared:

“We must find ways to become a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, that engages in dialogue, that opens its arms wide to welcome all.”

Reclaiming the Church’s Missionary Identity

Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural message articulates a compelling vision for the Church in the 21st century; ie, a return to its foundational calling as a missionary community. This missionary Church actively engages with the pressing challenges of our time, ranging from ecological degradation and systemic inequality to deepening secularisation and social fragmentation.

His exhortation decisively rejects any notion of the Church as an insular or self-preserving institution preoccupied with ritualism, hierarchical structures, or internal privilege. Instead, he proposes a dynamic image of the Church as a pilgrim in mission, a body constantly “on the move,” venturing beyond comfort and convention to accompany a suffering world. This movement is not only geographical or institutional but fundamentally spiritual: a call to interior conversion and renewed compassion.

In his inaugural address, Pope Leo XIV emphasises compassion, peace, and closeness to those who suffer and strongly resonates with the Church’s mission to engage with all those on the margins, geographic, cultural, existential, and spiritual. These frontiers are inhabited by individuals who endure isolation, suffering, and a profound longing for meaning and belonging. In continuity with the vision articulated in Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Leo XIV places evangelisation at the centre of ecclesial life, not as proselytism, but as a ministry of presence, encounter, and accompaniment rooted in the joy of the Gospel.

Only a Church willing to take risks, to leave behind self-centredness, and to walk with the excluded can truly embody the presence of Christ, the one who came not to be served but to serve, and who emptied himself to dwell among the poor. In this light, the Church is summoned to become a tangible expression and effective instrument of God’s mercy in the world.

Cardinal Robert Prevost: Embodied Witness to Mission

The life and ministry of Cardinal Robert Prevost, an Augustinian friar and prominent member of the College of Cardinals, exemplify the missionary ethos articulated by Pope Leo XIV. His personal narrative offers a powerful illustration of ecclesial witness in a globalised yet divided world.

Born into a migrant family in the United States, Cardinal Prevost grew up with a deep awareness of marginalisation and vulnerability, experiences that would later shape his pastoral sensibilities. Responding to a missionary vocation, he dedicated decades of his priestly life to serving in Peru, immersing himself in the language, culture, and spiritual life of rural and impoverished communities.

His ministry in Latin America was marked not by distant administration or episodic visits, but by incarnational presence. He lived among the people, adopting their struggles as his own, and bearing witness to the Gospel not merely through words but through a life of solidarity, humility, and compassion. His approach reflects Pope Leo XIV’s conviction that authentic missionary outreach cannot be reduced to strategies or programs. Rather, it must emerge from personal conversion and lived compassion.

In Cardinal Prevost, one sees not only pastoral effectiveness but also theological integrity: a commitment to mission that flows from the heart of Christ, crucified and risen.

The Significance of the Name Leo XIV

The selection of the name Leo XIV carries rich historical and theological resonance. It evokes the memory of Pope Leo XIII, renowned for his courageous engagement with the social issues of the late 19th century. Most notably, Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching, addressing the rights of workers, the responsibilities of capital, and the role of the state in promoting the common good.

By assuming this name, Pope Leo XIV signals a pastoral and theological continuity; ie, a Church that does not retreat from the complexities of the modern world, but rather steps forward as a prophetic voice for justice, peace, and human dignity. In doing so, he affirms the Church’s responsibility to respond to contemporary crises, climate change, economic disparity, mass migration, and spiritual disorientation, not with fear or detachment, but with courage, creativity, and hope.

This choice also echoes Pope Francis’ call for a “Church that goes forth,” a Church that prioritises the poor, heals wounds, and builds a culture of encounter. Leo XIV is thus not merely a historical reference, but a programmatic statement for a pontificate oriented toward pastoral renewal, social engagement, and Gospel fidelity.

The College of Cardinals: Discernment and Unity

The rapid election of Pope Leo XIV, accomplished within two days, underscores a remarkable unity of purpose among the College of Cardinals. Their swift discernment reflects not only confidence in the new pontiff’s leadership but also a collective recognition that the Church must decisively embrace its missionary character.

In selecting a leader who embodies humility, openness, and global awareness, the Cardinals affirm the need for the Church to abandon models of clericalism and triumphalism in favor of evangelical simplicity and servant leadership. The image of the Church that emerges is one of solidarity: a community willing to walk with the poor, to share in the suffering of the world, and to proclaim Christ through presence and mercy.

This ecclesial vision draws inspiration from the Incarnation itself: “The Word became flesh, dwell, and journey among us” (John 1:14). In the humility of the Incarnation, Christ entered fully into human history, taking on weakness, pain, and poverty, to redeem and uplift. The Church, in imitation of her Lord, must do likewise.

A Church That Goes Forth

In conclusion, the election of Pope Leo XIV, his choice of papal name, and his first public address collectively articulate a renewed mandate for the Church in the contemporary world. That is, to go forth in mission, to dwell among the wounded, and to witness to the mercy of God in every human situation.

This is not a retreat into nostalgia nor an accommodation to prevailing ideologies. Rather, it is a bold retrieval of the Church’s evangelical identity, one shaped by encounter, sustained by compassion, and oriented toward hope. As salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5:13–16), the Church is called to illuminate the shadows of our time with the truth and love of Christ.

Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate begins with a decisive call: to become again a Church of the poor, for the poor, and with the poor, a missionary Church in the heart of the world.

Fr Michael Quang Nguyen SVD is a member of the SVD Australia Province currently working at the Good Shepherd Seminary, Banz, Jiwaka Province, Papua New Guinea.

PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV - official portrait released by Vatican Media for use.

*Translation of Habemus Papam used in this story's headline: 'We have a Pope!'